Claiming energy stars

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

In a recent article in ‘The Conversation’ some builders are said to use the star rating system in a way that could mislead customers. The same can be said of the window industry. If you are looking for highly energy efficient windows, do not believe claims like ‘best energy efficient windows in Australia’ if this claim cannot be independently proven.WERS – Window Energy Rating Scheme – is the Australian rating system that gives windows stars for cooling and for heating. It also rates windows for their U-value and air-infiltration. The lower the U-value, the higher the energy efficiency of the

Advantages of tilt & turn Windows

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Turn your four walls into a home with noticeably high room comfort. Custom made tilt & turn windows by Paarhammer feature several locking points around the window and, together with rebated framing and compression seals, provide high energy efficiency, sound protection and security. While outward opening windows – whether awning or side opening – have issues with space when combined with external roller shutters, they are also difficult to clean from the inside. In this situation flyscreens must be mounted on the inside, and also hinder the cleaning process. Sliding and double hung windows are notoriously draughty even when closed,

Architects Declare - What next?

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Imports of building material have been on the rise in Australia in recent years, but has the worldwide Architects Declare movement shone a light on the product of local manufacturers in the respective regions of members? The aim of Architects Declare is to consider the overall impact to the environment when designing structures of tomorrow. Confirming the sources of raw materials, manufacturing methods, and reducing the travelling distance of construction items all impact the overall footprint of each project. Local job growth and the continuing development of skills in Australia is also an important consideration. The range of products still

Architects declare Climate Emergency

Tuesday, October 08, 2019

Recently hundreds of leading architects in Australia declared a ‘climate and biodiversity emergency’ and joined architects around the world. The group called Architects Declare Australia has as their goal – ‘to ;encourage architects to design buildings that are less wasteful, more adaptable and much more environmentally friendly’. Buildings account for nearly 40 per cent of greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions The group wants to raise awareness and are calling for the urgent need for action in the built environment, and also among their clients and supply chains. Paarhammer is part of this supply chain, making windows and doors. Right from the

Compliance and Industry Updates

Thursday, September 05, 2019

Recently the first national conference for members of the newly merged Australian Glass and Windows Association (AGWA) took place at Darling Harbour. A multitude of informative seminars on a variety of topics kept delegates busy, while there were many exhibitors showing their wares. The stand-out topic to take home for us was compliance and the upcoming changes to the industry through the National Construction Code (NCC). Housing Industry of Australia (HIA) gave an overview and outlook of the housing market in all states and territories of Australia, and while detached housing will experience a small drop, it is apartments which

New lower U-values

Thursday, July 11, 2019

   The Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) enables windows to be rated and labelled for their energy impact on a whole house, in any climate of Australia. Paarhammer recently had some of their windows and doors re-tested with different glazing options and achieved excellent results. A Custom Rating on WERS provides an exact rating for a window product, based on its exact materials and specifications for frame, glazing and other components. Weather tightness is based on reported air infiltration data obtained according to the AS 2047 performance test. WERS is independent of any one manufacturer and acts as a fair,

Cyclone Proof Windows

Monday, April 08, 2019

Recently Paarhammer had their Wood-Alu composite window tested, and achieved the highest rating for windows with N6, C4 (general) and N5, C3 (corner) with the Ultimate Limit State Pressure Testing result at +5900 Pa and -5900 Pa. This test as per Australian Standard AS2047-2014 covers Structural Deflection, Air Infiltration, Water Penetration Resistance and Ultimate Strength, and was performed by a NATA-accredited testing facility in Melbourne. Under the National Construction Code (NCC), the Building Code of Australia (BCA) is a set of technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings throughout Australia. It allows for variations in climate, and geological

Bushfire Compliance

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Flame Zone (BAL-FZ) product testing requires successful completion of the AS1530.8.2-2007 test. This test has a 30 minute furnace cycle and a 60 minute cooling down cycle in which the product still has to keep its integrity. Part of the test is also a radiant heat requirement of a maximum of 15kW/m2 on the inside. Paarhammer BAL-FZ products showed a heat flux on the non-fire side of between 1kW/m2 and 2kW/m2 in the test, depending on the product. This is just 1/10th of the allowed radiant heat. To put this into perspective, naked skin can tolerate 5kW/m2 for approximately 10 seconds

Bi-fold Doors to open up your house

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Bi-fold doors in a variety of configurations and up to 10 metre wide can open up your home for perfect summer entertaining. No bending down or stretching up to open or close shoot-bolts, all you do is turn a handle on every second door for easy operation. Watch this video to see how. For more information please see: Architectural Timber Range - Bi-fold Doors link

Compliance - the next Step

Thursday, November 08, 2018

In response to non-compliant building products, the Queensland Government has taken the lead in creating new laws to cover the sale and use of building products, and creating a chain of responsibility. Bunnings Queensland reflects these changes in the updated information on the building products stocked. Compliance information and fitness for intended purpose for a building product must now be provided by each person in the supply chain, to the next person in the supply chain. This includes manufacturers, importers and suppliers who all have a responsibility to ensure that the building product in question is compliant and fit for

Energy Costs versus House Prices

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

You want to be comfortable in your home, right? To have a fairly even temperature is one of the things which make a house a healthy, comfortable place to live in. If your house is insulated the costs for heating and cooling are low, meanwhile, if your house is not insulated your costs for heating and cooling are high. Home-ownership is still the goal of many Australians. Many get into the housing market by buying a relatively ‘cheaply’ built house. But those are the ones who will be out of pocket for high energy costs the rest of their lives

Compare windows and makers

Friday, June 15, 2018

In days gone by the builder often chose the different components for your home, but that was then. Now, thanks to our greater understanding of the choices available many of us research all aspects of our proposed build or renovating project, from the latest building products to bathtubs and low flow shower heads. We google, we read blogs, we compare. And what about windows? Windows and doors are a major investment, so you want to get it right the first time. But this is not so easy. Windows and doors have many different components, just as a couch is made